Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is more than a scary movie. It is a visual work of art. Kubrick’s genius is apparent in all aspects of the film, but it is the mis-en-scène that takes centre stage. The mis-en-scène effectively demonstrates the film’s themes of isolation, fear, and danger. The amount of detail and thought put into the setting, costume, lighting, and staging is what makes The Shining a truly horrifying film. The importance of setting in The Shining is evident from the opening scene: the camera sweeps through a vast mountain range for a significant amount of time in order to emphasize the isolation and lack of civilization for as far as the eye can see. The primary setting is the Overlook Hotel which is tucked away somewhere in these mountains. A subtle sense of unease begins to sink in as the conventional settings of a horror film fall into place: an isolated location, an abandoned building, and a lone family trapped there for the winter. A real hotel was used for the exterior shots in order to ground the film into the real world. The viewer is able to believe in the plausibility that the Overlook Hotel is a real place, …show more content…
Wendy and Danny are seen in red, white, and blue continuously throughout the film. This creates a visual connection between mother and son. In contrast, Jack wears shades of brown and green to infer he is green with envy because he is jealous of the Wendy and Danny’s relationship. The contrast in colours also isolates Jack which is important because, not only is the family isolated from civilization, but Jack himself feels isolated from his wife and son. Jack’s clothes transition into dark blue and a dark red coat which represent blood (the blue being the colour of deoxygenated blood) and show Jack’s intent to murder in cold blood. Dick Holloran, the chef, wears a pleasant blue similar to the blue of a police officer’s uniform which indicates that he is somebody that can be trusted to